Sheet-music holder



(No Model.)

F. E. PUTNAM.

SHEET MUSIG HOLDER.

No. 251,942. Patented Jan.3, 1882.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK E. PUTNAM, OF LOWELL,MASSACHUSETTS.

SHEET-MUSIC HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 251,942, dated January 3, 1882.

Application filed September 28, 1881. (No model.)'

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK -E. PUTNAM, of the city of Lowell, county of Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Sheet-Music Holder, of which the following is a specification.

My device relates to holders for retaining sheet-music in proper position upon the musicrack ot'a piano when it is in use; and the objects of my invention are to provide a cheap and simple device which can be readily placed upon the music-rack of a piano without injury to it, which can be made to hold the sheets without interfering with their use, and which can be readily removed without the use of tools, and which can be so shifted as not to interfere with the closing of the piano without remov-.

in g it from the music-rack. I accomplish these objects by the mechanism shown in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a side elevation .with a portion broken away. Fig. 2 is a plan showing the device in place ona music-rack, also how the sheets of music are held by it.

A is a spring-clamp, which, when placed up on the edge of a piano music-rack, will clasp it firmly between the plates at and a Attached to the clamp A is a post, B, extending upward in a line of direction parallel with the plate a, which lies fiat upon the front of the rack when in position.

Upon the post B is placed a clasp, D, composed of jaws O 0, which have ears 0 upon their upper and under edges, through which the post passes, and a spring, m, to close the jaws. The sheet metal of which thejaws are formed is bent so as to have the ends 6 e of the two parts bear against one another upon one side of the post to form grasping-jaws capable of bearing'upon any thin object placed between them, while upon the opposite side of the post the two parts extend back in wingsf f, against which the ends of a spring, m, placed between them, bear to separate them and close the ends a 6 together.

The person using the device can open the clasping-jaws by pressing the wings ff toward one another, wheuthe article can be placed between the ends e e, and the wingsf, being released, will he forced apart by the spring m,

When the device is to be used it is slipped onto the upper edge of the music-rack or one ofits bars, as shown in Fig. 2, and the back of the sheets of music is placed within thejaws with their lower edges resting, as usual, upon the piano. The leaves will then be supported and held together, while they may be turned over in the usual manner without impediment and without danger of their falling apart or sliding down or crumpling, as is frequently the case when the sheets lose any part of their stifl'ness. There is visible to the person looking at the music from in front no mechanism, because there is no part which overlaps the sheets.

When it is desired to close the piano the clamp D is turned upon the post until the wings are toward the i'rontof the piano,when,

.the rack being swung down in the usual manner, the wings will be brought into the space over the key-board and the grasping-ends e of the jaws will not projectabove the music-rack sufficiently to comeinto contact with the pianotop when it is let down.

VVhatI claim as new and ofmy invention is- 1. The combination of the clamp A, bearing the post B, with the jaws O 0, provided with ears 0, through which the post passes, and the spring m, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the clamp A with the post B, and clasp 1), which has jaws substantially parallel with the bearing-faces of the clamp, substantially as and for the purpose described. I

FRANK E. PUTNAM.

Witnesses:

E. L. RICE, LEPINE O. RioE. 

